Contents

Cash prizes are awarded to the top-five competitors in each discipline of piano, violin, cello, and to each of the top four competitors in the men's and women's solo vocal categories. First prize (always to be awarded) is 20,000 Euro; second, 15,000 Euro; third, 10,000 Euro; fourth, 5,000 Euro; and fifth, 3,000 Euro. An additional prize, a Grand Prix of 10,000 Euro, may be awarded to one of the gold medalists deemed outstanding by the juries. Additional awards are given for best performance of the chamber concertos and the commissioned new work.[3]

Held every four years, the first competition, in 1958, included two disciplines – piano and violin. Beginning with the second competition, in 1962, a cello category was added, and the vocal division was introduced during the third competition in 1966. In 1990, a fifth discipline was announced for the IX International Tchaikovsky Competition — a contest for violin makers which traditionally comes before the main competition.[4]

International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians is the junior section of the competition. The Association of Tchaikovsky Competition Stars recommend the first, second and third Prize winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians to enter the International Tchaikovsky Competition without going through the preliminary selections and create favorable opportunities for them in case they must meet the competition entrance requirements: i.e., age limit, application procedure, etc.